Shadow of the Past
by kolchaksghost
Summary: Edward leaves Bella not knowing that she is the biological daughter of Marcus and Jane of the Volturi. Now the Cullen and Denali covens are in danger and need the Volturi's help. How will they react to vampire Bella? How will she react to them? AU.
1. Chapter 1

**Shadow of the Past**

_**Disclaimer: This is not my sandbox. I just enjoy playing in it.**_

_Prologue: Atlanta International Airport; January 2007_

_The blind girl made her way off her international flight and into the terminal with the assistance of an over-eager male flight attendant. If there was one thing she hated more than being pitied, it was receiving unwanted attention, and she was getting both in spades from this wretched man. He continually keeps copping feels as he leads her to the gate for her connecting flight to Seattle, Washington. Just because she is "lightblind" doesn't mean she is totally sensory deprived. This jackass was about to get a valuable lesson in manners._

_They arrive at the check in counter at the gate and the girl turns to "thank" her benefactor. Her right knee swiftly jabs into his crotch and when he doubles over slightly, she slams his head against the counter. "Just because a woman may be impaired in some way, doesn't give you the right to grope her without permission," she states coldly before turning back to the Attendant at the counter._

_"I'm Isabella Swan. Is this the gate for Flight 1492 to Seattle," Bella asks the girl at the counter while showing her the first class boarding pass._

_The girl behind the counter gives an affirmative reply and escorts Bella to the front of the line waiting to board the plane. After a few minutes another flight attendant takes down the concourse to her seat. She settles in and lets her mind mull over the coming adventure. Her parents wanted her to use the next few years to experience life just like a normal teenager, so they decided to send her to live in the small town where the surrogate that carried her had lived in order to finish High School._

_The last month was spent preparing for this trip. Researching the Olympic peninsula in general, and Forks, Washington, in particular allowed her to draw the following conclusion; the next few years are going to suck. Not only is she going to need to endure the horror of a public school, she once again has to put up with doctors poking and prodding her while they try to puzzle out her unique form of blindness. So far none of her past doctors have been able to figure out why she is only blind in light but can see perfectly fine in darkness. Then, of course, there was the time spent learning to disguise her native Italian accent with an American one. At least she can't get into any trouble in a town the size of Forks…_

_Forks, Washington, eight months later_

_Bella falls to the forest floor, gripping her chest in pain, her heart having been ripped from her chest and shattered by the man she loved. Edward Cullen, the bastard that destroyed her for fun. If that wasn't enough pain, she feels fire start to spread though her body. Not now, she thinks, this can't be happening now… "PAPA," she screams before the pain overcomes her and oblivion claims her._


	2. Inner Pain

**Shadow of the Past**

_Disclaimer: The same as always…_

Ch. 1: Inner Pain

_Volterra, Italy, the present._

_Bella/Shadow_

Shadow faces off against Demitri and Felix in the training room. They circle her waiting for an opening to strike. Since her return to Volterra a year ago, every morning has been spent just like this; two hours training in hand to hand combat with the boys, followed by another two hours of practice with her powers. Today's combat training was different. The boys are pushing her harder than they ever have before. Just before they pounce, Demitri yells, "NOW," and bright light floods the room, attempting to trigger Shadow's lightblindness.

No sooner than the word leaves his mouth, she enshrouds her copper eyes with impenetrable shadows and leaps on Felix. Her mouth presses against his throat and he acknowledges the "kill" by backing toward the end of the room. She senses Demitri closing in from behind and back flips over him landing in a defensive crouch. As he spins to face her, Gianna's voice comes over the intercom.

"Master Aro requires everyone to come to the Meeting Room."

Shadow straightens from her crouch, spins on her heel and heads out the door with the boys trailing behind. With each step, a feeling of dread becomes more prominent in her. Nothing good can come out of this meeting, this much she knows. A small voice in the back of her head pleads with her to just skip the meeting and take a relaxing shower instead. Only duty keeps her on track and silences that little voice.

The Meeting Room is one of the more modern rooms in the castle. There is a large, oak, horseshoe table with chairs around the outside with a small table holding a PowerPoint projector in the open space in the middle facing a black screen. The projector is connected to a laptop in front of the center chair at the head of the table. She enters the room and receives kisses on her forehead from her Uncles Aro and Ciaus, as well as her Aunts Sulpicia and Athenodora, then takes her usual seat. Her mother and father are noticeably absent. They must have been enjoying some "quality time" in their room when the summons went out. A much disheveled Marcus and Jane enter the room confirming her suspicion.

"No child likes to think of their parents having sex, but if you two are going to continue to behave like a couple of rabbits, then at least have the decency to make me a little brother or sister," Shadow comments dryly, earning giggles from her Aunts and a mock glare from Aro. Jane just sticks her tongue out at her daughter as they take their seats.

Aro raises his hand to silence all the chatter and begins, "I have just received word from an informant in Mexico that Maria is setting up a staging area in Central Canada to train another Newborn army. Apparently she has been joined by a vampire named Victoria who convinced her to wipe out the Denali and Cullen Covens."

Shadow pulls her arms around her chest in an effort to keep herself together. Her body shakes with the effort and blood tears flow down her cheeks. Memories that she has kept locked up deep inside her psyche burst forth, flooding her mind. It is all just too much and she is swept away, loosing control of her powers as she collapses to the floor sobbing. Pain and sorrow explode from her and hit the assembled Volturi with the force of a tactical nuke.

She hears others hit the ground sobbing and knows that the she needs to regain control. Nobody needs to endure her pain. Jane crawls over to Shadow and rubs soothing circles on her daughter's back, while softly singing an old, Italian, lullaby. Slowly, Shadow regains control and pulls her emotional maelstrom back inside of her. Everyone that is on the floor returns to his or her seat and her mother helps her back into hers.

Hanging her head in shame she whispers, "I have first hand knowledge that is relevant to your news, Uncle."

Aro, like the others, waits expectantly for her to continue. Instead of speaking, she simply removes the black lace glove from her right hand, offing it to him while dropping the shadow from her mind. Everyone gasps in shock as they notice the telltale crescent shaped scar, the eternal reminder of a vampire attack. He takes the offered hand and hears her testimony. Tina, one of the newer Guards with the power to read memories and project them for others to see, projects everything for the others to witness.

They watch as Shadow first meets the Cullen children at school; Edward's reaction to her scent; James, Victoria and Laurent attacking her in Port Angeles and the Cullen's rescuing her; Edward revealing the vampire secret then pursuing her and Shadow falling in love with him; Jasper attacking her after getting a paper cut during her "birthday" party; Edward taking her innocence while proclaiming his undying love; and finally, him leading her into the woods to rip her heart out by telling her that she was nothing more than a pathetic blind girl that was forever ruined for other men. That he never loved her. It was all a game to spice up his sex life with his mate, Tanya. The last words he spoke before leaving her alone in the forest; nobody will ever love you.

Silence filled the room while Aro dropped her hand. They are too stunned by what they had just seen to do anything for a few minutes. Marcus finally breaks the silence. His voice is filled with his barely contained rage.

"WHY DID YOU NEVER TELL US THIS," he demands, ignoring the glare from his mate at his tone.

"I was ashamed and didn't want you to be disappointed in me for giving my heart away like a stupid human girl. And if I had told you about the Cullen's after I first saw them in school, you would've sent some of the Guard to watch over me thereby ending any attempt for a normal teenage experience. Believe me, I wish I had told you then," Shadow replied in a small voice.

Marcus' eyes soften and his voice becomes tender, "It is never foolish to fall in love. I am just angry that he was unworthy of you and that you had to suffer. Why not go conquer Milan or Paris with your mother and Aunts, while your Uncles and I decide how to deal this Cullen/Denali mess?"

Shadow, Jane, Sulpicia, and Athenodora left the room to plan their shopping excursion picking up Heidi along the way. It was still early morning, so they decide to hit both fashion centers in order to put a decent dent in the Volturi coffers before returning home the following evening. They make their way to the limo; meanwhile Aro calls his old friend, Carlisle Cullen to advise him to send an emissary for important news.

_Denali, Alaska, five minutes after Shadow's episode_

_Carlisle_

The cell phone starts to ring as Carlisle eases his black Mercedes out of the hospital parking lot and into traffic heading for home. Thinking it could only be one of his family members, he answers it without checking the Caller ID. The voice on the other end sends a chill up his spine and takes him back nearly four hundred years.

"Your family and the Denali Coven are in grave danger, Old Friend. You need to send an emissary if you wish to know all the details and request Volturi aid if you wish it," Aro states coolly, before the line goes dead.

"What the Hell," Carlisle queries as he puts the cell phone on the passenger seat.


	3. Scaring the Tourists

**Shadow of the Past**

_Disclaimer: We all know who really owns this._

Ch. 2: Scaring the Tourists

_Volterra, Italy_

_Shadow_

Coming home is Shadow's favorite part of every trip. Fun as traveling always is for her, Volterra is her home and it is the only place she feels comfortable. The shopping trip was just what she needed to take her mind off recent events; even the other women seem more relaxed now. Her mother bounces in her seat, impatiently waiting to reunite with her Soul Mate. A quick glance at Sulpicia, Athenodora and Heidi show that they are just as eager. Shadow just rolls her eyes at the lovesick quartette and smiles.

"Heidi, remember that you promised to help Gianna get ready for her date Felix," she comments as the limo comes to a halt in front of the castle.

Heidi looks at her and nods. "It shouldn't take too long. Felix is too much of a cheapskate to take her anywhere nice," she replies as the other ladies giggle. Everyone knows that Felix has a reputation for being a bit of a tightwad.

"Actually, he is taking her to the Opera in Florence then to a candlelight supper afterwards. I believe he will be proposing at that time," Shadow comments in return.

Squeals erupt from the other women at the news. Shadow shakes her head as her mother, Aunts and best friend plan how, together, they will transform Gianna for this special night. The four women jump from the car and race past their bewildered mates, gabbing startled receptionist to begin her transformation. Shadow waves three of the Guard over to carry all the bags up to the giant closet that takes up the entire second floor of the West Wing.

She glides up to the entry way of the castle and greets her father and uncles. The three Ancients each wear identical puzzled expressions at the antics of their significant others. With a laugh, Shadow explains about Felix and Gianna's date. The men smile at the news. By the look in their eyes, she could almost see plans to embrace the concept of the Bachelor Party. The only thing that keeps her from laughing is the knowledge that these men are too afraid of their mates to plan anything wild. That in no way means that same applies to the Bachelorette Party, she thinks with a wicked smile.

The others are taken aback by that smile, so she composes her expression into one that is more normal. She ushers them away to go wait for their wives. "Go enjoy yourselves. I'll wait for the Emissary to arrive. If I know Carlisle, he or she will arrive sometime tonight. Tina and Chelsea will stay with me and take over if I can't handle it," she soothes in response to their worried faces.

_Eleazar_

Eleazar watches Volterra Castle get closer by the second. He thinks that everyone coming here is a bad idea. He knows Carlisle feels the same, but both Edward and Tanya are adamant that this is just a ploy by Aro to get his hands on one or two of the gifted members of either Coven. When Carlisle had come home from the hospital with Aro's warning, those two argued the strongest against sending just one or two people. They stated that only in a show of strength, would Aro not try anything stupid. The ignorant fools have no idea how the Volturi operate.

Both he and Carlisle know the truth. That this supposed show of strength will only upset Aro and his brothers. Eleazar is a former member of the Guard and knows the way the Ancients think. At least that is what the rest of his traveling companions believe. Only his mate, Carmen, and Carlisle know the truth; that he is secretly monitoring Tanya and her sisters for the Volturi.

The two shuttles carrying the entirety of both Covens stop in front of the gate to the castle. Everybody gets out and Eleazar puts on his ash grey cloak with obsidian borders, denoting his honored service. They gather up what little luggage there is and head toward the main entrance. Ten feet from the doors, they open of their own accord and reveal a dimly lit reception area. Some rather morbid sounding organ music filters through the opening into the night. This does not bode well.

_Tanya_

The doors opening on their own and the creepy music cause Tanya to grip her mate's arm tightly. Even though he is vampire, Edward winces at the increased pressure. The united Denali/Cullen's continue up the walkway to the threshold. They stop just before crossing it. A disembodied, female, voice with a heavy Italian accent whispers into the night.

"Greetings, on behalf of the Volturi, I bid you welcome to Volterra Castle. Enter freely and of you own will."

Each one of them quickly enters the Reception area and the door close behind them with an audible thud, again all on their own. A vaguely female shaped shadow shoots across the floor and appears to try to grab Tanya, eliciting a small shriek from her in the process. Her eyes, along with the others, travel down the length of the shadow to its source, a young woman with flowing brown hair down to middle of her back and brilliant copper eyes dressed in a flowing black dress that hung off her pale shoulders. The woman throws her head back and her wind chime laugh fills the room.

"Carlisle, it is good to see you again. I was expecting to greet only a single Emissary, not the entirety of both Covens. Uncle Aro will be most…_pleased_," the Italian vampire says good naturedly.

Tanya and the others gasp in shock as their greeter glides down her shadow toward them, without moving her legs. The vampire hugs each member of the two covens, with the exception of Edward and Tanya, never once using her legs to move; just that creepy shadow gliding. The whole time, said shadow continued to move and act of its own volition, making Tanya extremely nervous.

"The second and third floors of the East Wing will be at your disposal for the duration of your stay. Tina and Chelsea can show you the way. Once you get settled in, they will serve warmed Jaguar blood in the Drawing Room. My Uncles and father will receive you properly in the morning. Until then, I bid good night," the greeter states, then glides back the way she came.

"Who the hell do you think you are, bitch? We get some cryptic phone call and come all the way here at short notice, you better start explaining things before I beat it out of you," Tanya demands, rudely.

The other vampire stops and spins to face Tanya. "I am Princess Isabella Marie Volturi; daughter of Marcus and Jane Volturi; Mistress Shadow; Lady of Sorrows. You will learn your place, harlot, if you wish to see another sunrise! The answers you require shall be given to you in the morning. For now, just be extremely thankful that I do not crucify you for your insolence," Shadow hisses and continues her departure.

_Jasper_

The moment he saw Bella on the other side of the room, Jasper used his power to sense what the others were feeling: Tanya, fear; Edward, anger, guilt and fear; the remaining Denali's, confusion; the remaining Cullen's, guilt, joy and humor because they quickly realized that she was trying to scare Edward and Tanya. He had to admit that Tanya's responses to the scare tactics were priceless. He watches Edward stare at him in shock and wonders why.

_Jasper, don't be afraid. I've placed a shadow over your mind so that I could speak with you without Edward hearing. First, I want to say that I never blamed you for that whole birthday mess. So stop beating yourself up over it. Second, I really missed you guys. I would love to catch up, bring your family up to my room in the North West tower when you're ready. Bye. _Bella's voice whispers in his ear.

Tina and Chelsea arrive and show the assembled vampires to their quarters. They drop their luggage off in the rooms and head to the Drawing Room for refreshments. After each of them down two glasses of Jaguar blood apiece, the Denali's and Edward and Tanya head back to their respective rooms. When Jasper is sure they are out of hearing range, he turns to his family, smiling.

"Bella wants us to go up to her room and visit, if y'all are willin'," he deliberately drawls in his Southern Texas twang.


	4. The Truth

**Shadow of the Past**

_Disclaimer: I own nothing._

Ch. 3: The Whole Truth; the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

_Shadow_

Shadow closes her eyes so that she could concentrate on the shadows throughout the castle. She was aware of the Cullens arrival and holds up a hand for silence. Casting her mind through the shadows, she finds Edward and Tanya's room and concentrates on pulling their conversation into every room. Her guests stare in shock as they hear their so-called family members discuss their twisted game, and about how stupid Edward is for letting Bella live. Shadow lets go of her control and the conversation evaporates.

She opens her eyes and notes that Esme, Alice and Rosalie are sobbing and that their mates are barely controlling their own anger. Getting up, she embraces each of them warmly and soothes, "None of this is your fault. Edward and Tanya are solely to blame and will be repaid in kind. I wanted you to hear the truth from their own lips, that way you wouldn't think my family was trying to hurt you. There is a very real threat to you but that will be discussed in the morning. Let us leave the unpleasantness behind us and enjoy each others company for a time."

Her guests nod their agreement and everyone settles into the overstuffed furniture of the living area. She knows that they have many questions, so she gestures for them to begin. Predictably, Carlisle is the first one to get the ball rolling.

"Bella…er, Shadow, how did the Volturi find you? Who Changed you," the Cullen patriarch asked. The shame of leaving her behind and unprotected evident in his features.

Shadow laughs then explains, "You misunderstand my friend. The Volturi never had to find me; they always know where I am. I am Marcus and Jane's biological daughter. In other words, I was born a vampire."

"That's impossible," Esme and Rosalie sadly state.

"Until about twenty years ago, you would have been correct. You see, a hundred and fifty years ago, a vampire named Joham was deflowering young Indian maidens in the jungles of South America and impregnating them. The half human/half vampire offspring developed at an accelerated rate. Fertilization to birth took only a month, but the mothers never survived. These Dhampires, as they are called, reach maturity after seven years then are immortal. The females are non-venomous but the males are.

"It had been Joham's intention to create an army of these half breeds and take over the world. His only son, Nahuel, refused to join with him and eventually had to flee South America. He was found and brought here. When the Brothers found out about Joham's actions, they sent the Guard to hunt him down, with Nahuel leading the way. The only survivors among his children were Nahuel and three female dhampire infants.

"Hidden with his possessions, the Guard found a journal. In it, Joham theorized that it would one day be possible to harvest a female vampire's eggs, fertilize them and implant them in a human host. The host would be given a series of treatments to survive the birth and the child would be born human but turn into a vampire between the ages of seventeen and twenty.

"When technology advanced to the point of Joham's vision, Aro devoted a large amount of resources into researching the viability of the process. Mother and Papa volunteered and one of her fertilized eggs was implanted in Renee Swan. Her and her husband Charlie had the misfortune of joining one of Heidi's tours. Shortly after I was born, Renee had some complications and refused to be Changed; she died seconds later.

"Edward leaving me in the woods was so painful that it triggered my final transformation. Papa sensed my pain and sent the Guard to bring me home. I've been here ever since. The only times I leave are to go out shopping or on a mission for my Uncle Aro," Shadow continues.

"Why are your eyes Copper," Alice asks.

"Because, as much as I hate it, I feed on both human and animal blood; thankfully, I only need a cupful of human blood every two weeks. If I do not drink it, I become weaker until bloodlust consumes me. The human blood I drink comes from the local blood bank. Just as you call yourselves Vegetarians, I consider myself Omnivorous," she comments casually.

"Do you have any powers," Emmett queries while the others look at him as if he were a dense child.

"Yes, Emmett. I have total control over shadows and can use that ability to mimic other vampiric powers. Part of which you have already witnessed for yourself; my other ability is a specialized form of Empathy, which allows me to sense your deepest pain and sorrow and remove it from you. I can also project those feelings I have absorbed into another person," she states somewhat smugly. The Cullens just stare at her in awe.

Shadow and the Cullens continue to catch up until three in the morning. She bids her them a goodnight and sees them to the door. Through her shadow power, she tracks their progress back to their rooms then breaks her concentration to afford them some privacy. There are still some things that she must accomplish before the coming reception. She steps into the shadows, exits in Venice, then with her business complete returns to the shadows, and enters a house she remembers all too well.

"Hello Victoria," she comments to the startled vampire on the sofa.


	5. Crime and Punishment

**Shadow of the Past**

_Disclaimer: SM is the only owner of the Twilight Saga._

**AN: Thanks to everyone who has been reading this and those who were kind enough to review. You guys are awesome. I'm still trying to figure out who Shadow's love interest might be, any suggestions? I may not update this for a couple of days; I'm going to be doing a Halloween one-shot.**

Ch. 4: Crime and Punishment

_Aro_

Aro Volturi sat on his throne a very frustrated and pissed off vampire. In fact, one touch from each of his brothers confirmed that they shared both his moods. As much as they all loved their beloved Shadow, she was the gentlest and most caring soul, the Princess had a wicked streak when she wanted it. Such as last night when she pulled the conversation between Edward Cullen and Tanya Denali through the shadows and into every room in the castle, everyone had heard all about the twisted game that they had played for the past six decades; one he had played for considerably longer.

He had been fine with that wickedness, as long as it was not directed at him. Unfortunately, she had other plans. While he and his sweet Sulpicia had been in the throws of passion, the loud thudding of boxes as they hit the bedroom floor disrupted them just as they were both about to reach that blissful moment of climax. Aro growled in frustration and realized he was not the only one. He could hear Athendora's lament at the interruption of her and Ciaus' moment as well. What made him laugh were the screams of indignation from Jane and Marcus as they found themselves dumped into the cold water of the courtyard fountain.

"The boxes contain evidence that must be reviewed so that you might Council before the reception. NOW GO," Shadow whispered in our ears, her last words a command.

Aro and his mate chuckled. They had watched their niece grow up and how she had changed the entirety of the ancient coven. He always knew that she would make a great leader. One that would lead their race farther than he ever could; old world monsters such as himself were not the poster children to assuage the fears of the humans when Science finally forced his people to reveal themselves. Shadow had become their hope for the future.

The boxes had contained journals Shadow had recovered from the Cullen's old house in Forks. The pages held detailed accounts of Edward and Tanya's victims, written in his own hand. The information confirmed their actions had nearly caused a breach in Vampire Law. A clipping fell from one of the more recent volumes, the story was about how the FBI had reopened an old case file because they felt they were dealing with a family of serial killers, or a cult.

The Kings and their mates waited impatiently for the reception to begin. The rest of the Guard and their guests filtered into the Throne Room. Finally the Cullen/Denali Covens arrived, but there was no sign of Shadow. The last time Aro had seen his niece she had been with two strange vampires that wore the grey Guard cloaks with their hoods up. She was up to something, of that he was certain. Only time would tell what it was.

"Friend Carlisle, it is so good to see you again. I only wish that your visit had come under better circumstances," Aro commented with a touch of sadness in his voice.

_Carlisle_

The Cullen Patriarch and his family discussed a great many things after they left Bella's room last night. They had all been shocked to learn exactly what kind of soulless monster his eldest was. He asked that the petite Princess not enshroud their minds because he wanted Edward to understand that they knew what he had done. His anger and that of his family overwhelmed poor Jasper, but the empath refused to leave.

Carlisle realized that Edward and Tanya could be charged with violating Vampire Law. If Volturi made an issue of it, and the two vampires were found guilty, they would be executed. His was only concerned for his family, so he asked if they would interfere if Judgment was passed. They surprised him with a unanimous NO.

The next item to be debated was the piece of paper Bella had slipped to him just before she closed her bedroom door. The note offered the Cullen women the chance to become mothers. Though Rosalie's answer was a given, he wanted everyone to understand that the egg harvesting process would be painful. Predictably, all of the women agreed to endure the momentary pain for the joy of Motherhood. The only catch was that nobody outside the Volturi could know. It meant that the family would have to relocate and break contact with our friends until the children had grown into their heritage.

Carlisle adjourned the impromptu Family Meeting and made the others go back to their room to change. They regrouped in the hall five minutes later. From the sounds of subdued shouting, he imagined that Edward and Tanya were being berated by the Denali's. Edward looked shocked as he read the minds of both covens and learned his horrible secret had been discovered. Tina and Chelsea joined us and escorted us to the Throne Room.

"Friend Carlisle, it is so good to see you again. I only wish that your visit had come under better circumstances," Aro commented with a touch of sadness in his voice.

"Agreed," Carlisle replied with equal sadness, "but you said that my family was in some kind of danger. The only questions are what kind and will we need your aid?"

The Volturi King let out an unnecessary sigh and dropped his first bombshell, "A vampire named Victoria has a vendetta against you. She has convinced Maria to build a Newborn Army to destroy your family and the Denali Coven."

The combined members of both covens gasped. Carlisle regained his composure and asked, "Do you know when they are planning their attack or how many are in the army?"

"I believe I can answer that," a feminine soprano voice, with just a hint of an Irish lilt, flowed through the room. Everyone watched in stunned silence as Bella phased out from the shadows along with two other vampires. A tall, dark haired man that Carlisle did not know, and Victoria; it was she that had spoken.

_Victoria_

Victoria O'Dowd had good fortune to be born full-blooded, first generation, Irish-American in Kansas City, Missouri, on St. Patrick's Day 1907. Both sides of her family had immigrated to the States from County Cork, Ireland in the 1899. She was the youngest of four children; the other three were boys. Her father, his two brothers and her eldest brother were all Policemen; whereas, her mother's five brothers were all crooks and gangsters. Eventually the Luck of the Irish ran out and she became the obsession of two red-eyed gods.

Ninety-one years after her change, she sat in the living room of the abandoned house of her enemies and contemplated how in the Hell she got there. Nine decades of blood, pain and death had left their mark on her. As much as she wanted her revenge on that bastard Edward, deep down she knew just wanted an end to her suffering. To find peace at last.

"Hello Victoria," an Italian accented, female, voice called out as a woman materialized from the shadows and caused Victoria to jump slightly.

The two vampires talked for over an hours. Each told the other their story and then the Lady of Sorrow had taken away her torment. Victoria felt a lightness of being that she hadn't felt since she was a child. She was so overjoyed that she quickly agreed to accompany the other vampire back to Volterra.

When she heard the blonde leader of the Cullens about the Newborn Army and its impending attack, she couldn't help but speak up as she made her entrance with Shadow and another vampire. Now she had the attention of every vampire in the room and felt nervous. The Princess touched her shoulder in encouragement.

"Maria had already decided to create another army by the time I had met her. She wanted to test the skills of her new Warmaster. She enjoyed the thought of pitting him against a powerful adversary. My information about the Cullen/Denali's and my desire for revenge were the only excuse she needed to put her plans into motion," the red headed vampire informed the room.

"I understand from Princess Isabella that the Cullens killed your mate…," Aro began, only to be interrupted.

"Forgive me, my Lord, but you were misinformed. James was a fucking sadistic bastard that deserved the death he received. Laurent was little better. My vendetta is solely against Edward Cullen. I wrongfully thought that the rest of his family and the Denali's were protecting him," Victoria corrected him.

The gathered vampires processed her words while the Volturi leader asked, "Why just against Edward?"

"Because of him, I've had to endure ninety years of torture. In the summer of 1928, I visited my mother's family in Chicago. While there, I caught the eye of a bronze haired god, Edward Cullen. At twenty-one years old, I had yet to find a suitable husband. For two months he courted me, telling me how special I was. What I didn't know was that he was toying with me. All he wanted was to fuck me then drain me.

"On the night I was going to give myself to him, James kidnapped me. He had watched Edward and decided to do some poaching. He beat me then raped me. When Edward found us, he was livid. He accused James of spoiling his game and stealing his meal, and then he turned around and walked out of the room. I begged for mercy and received torment. James drained most of my blood. During the three days my body burned with the Change, he violated me continuously. I awoke to my new life with him still buried inside of me spewing his seed," she explained calmly because Shadow had removed the pain and sorrow from her memory.

Angry snarls ripped through the other vampires and Aro held up his hands for silence. Edward looked afraid for his existence; his mate attempted an act of self-preservation by putting a space between them. Their expressions showed that neither expected to escape destruction.

Aro was about to speak but stopped. He tilted his head then motioned for the Princess and her other companion to step forward. Victoria watched on in anticipation.

_Edward_

When the red headed witch stopped speaking, Edward Cullen knew his century long life had come to an end. He had been unable to read anyone's mind outside of his family since they had arrived; now whatever had prevented that fell away and he heard the thoughts of the three rulers. They knew everything; a trial was no longer needed so all that was left was for them to pass Judgment.

Bella and a strange male vampire stepped forward. The man stopped in front of Tanya and waited. When Bella reached her vacant throne, she turned around and looked directly at his mate.

"Tanya Denali, for your activities that threatened the exposure of our race, I hereby sentence you to endure the Crucible. You will be stripped of your nature; should you suffer in silence for ten minutes, it will be restored. If you cry out, there will be no mercy. You will endure it until your Second Death. Giovanni," the copper-eyed vampire intoned and gestured to the man in front of Tanya.

The dark haired vampire reached out and touched the stunned Denali sister. Her body began to regain color and her features dulled. Everyone watched in wonder as Tanya became human. Before anyone could gasp in awe at the change, it continued and any awe was replaced with horror. The full weight of her existence crashed down upon Edward's mate; age and disease ravaged her body. In less than a minute, Tanya screamed out in agony. True to her word, Bella showed no mercy and former strawberry blonde vampire screamed until her heart stopped beating. The process did not stop there, it continued until nothing was left but a pile of ashes.

Edward could no longer contain his emotions and screamed in rage. He crouched so that he could spring at Giovanni but Emmett and Jasper held him in place. Giovanni returned to where Victoria watched.

"Edward Anthony Masen, for deceiving your coven, they have chosen to exile you. For your violation of Vampire Law, which has resulted in the involvement of the human authorities, you are hereby sentenced to be executed at the hands of Carlisle Cullen in ninety years. Until that time you are remanded to the tender mercies of the Beast of Gevaudan. While in his care you will be kept at the brink of starvation so that you are more compliant as he violates you. Should Carlisle be unavailable to complete your sentence then the honor shall fall to Victoria O'Dowd," Shadow proclaimed as two of the Guard approached and dragged him from the Throne Room.

"Please, just kill me," he begged as the doors closed and he was led through the castle to a waiting transport.

In the back of the vehicle, the twisted and deformed creature that had terrorized France in the seventeenth century gazed at Edward. The Beast licked his lips and rubbed his crotch in anticipatory delight.


	6. Divide and Conquer

**Shadow of the Past**

Ch. 5: Divide and Conquer

_Jasper_

Jasper Hale looked out at the carnage strewn across the surrounding tundra, a grim smile on his battle ravaged features. A week ago, just after Edward had been led away, Victoria gave her account of Maria's recently conscripted Newborn Army and her new Warmaster. Before the red headed vampire had left, there were approximately 100 Newborns corralled at the training camp. According to Victoria, the Warmaster seemed to have the ability to physically and mentally control a large number of vampires for short periods of time. He also seemed to have some kind of military background.

It had been Jasper's idea to train for a few days then launch a sneak attack on the Training Camp. Aro wanted to send the entire Volturi Guard to assist the efforts of the Cullen's and Denali's, but Shadow had vehemently refused. After much arguing, the finally tally for the attack was 20; Carlisle, Esme, Rosalie, Emmett, Alice, Jasper, Eleazar, Carmen, Kate, Irina, Garrett, Victoria, Felix, Alec, Tina, Chelsea, Alistair (Carlisle's friend), Peter and Charolette (Jasper's friends), and Shadow. Three days of intensive training later, they were ready.

The strike force had hit the camp just as the Newborns were feeding on a truckload of humans. Shadow had led the main force while Jasper, Peter and Charlotte went after Maria and her Warmaster. The fighting was fierce on both fronts, but without anyone to guide them, the Newborns fought like the undisciplined weapons of mass destruction that they were. When twilight arrived, the battle was finished; Maria and her forces were destroyed.

The victory hadn't come without losses on the winning side. Peter, Charlotte, Kate, Irina, Garrett and Chelsea died their Second Deaths. Shadow had ordered the surviving members of the strike force to return to the Cullen's Alaskan home. Only she and Jasper had remained to watch the fires that burned their enemies and fallen comrades to ash. When the last fire had died, the two vampires retreated in the direction the others had gone.

The atmosphere of the Cullen House was very subdued. Everyone processed the day's activities in the own way. Slowly, the couples among them went off to vent their excess energies and take comfort in their mates. Jasper wasn't shocked to see that Victoria and Alec had paired off. The remaining singles occupied themselves in other ways.

_Shadow_

Shadow sat on a couch in the living room and flipped through the channels on the television, absently. Her mind had been elsewhere, reviewing the recent battle and the events that had led up to it. Something wasn't right and she tried to puzzle out what it was. The bad feeling had started when they had started to plan for the raid. Aro had been insistent upon sending the whole Guard. Finally, he relented to her argument against such action but something was still off.

Maria! Maria was the problem. Victoria had said that she had already planned to make another army to test the abilities of her new Warmaster. Why? That was the million dollar question. The South had been relatively calm the past decade or so, outside of the occasional minor vendetta. So, why would she need such a large army? Why would she agree so quickly to test it on the two vegetarian Covens? Why risk it since both Covens had so many gifted members, especially the Cullen's?

That was it! Shadow smacked herself in the forehead and flashed over to the table where Jasper had put all the papers recovered from Maria's Camp. Buried within stack she found a worn, piece of parchment. A wax seal had fastened the edges closed at one time. The image the pieces of the seal made when it was folded again made her gasp. Instantly, her cell phone was in her hand and Demitri's number dialed.

"LAZARUS PROTOCOL INITIATED! ABANDON VOLTERRA," she yelled when he picked up. From the sounds of combat on the other end, she knew her warning had come too late.

The rest of the vampires in the house had run into the room as soon as she shouted into her phone. They looked at her with worried expressions. Shadow threw her phone against the far wall with a scream of rage; it shattered on impact.

"The Romanians are attacking Volterra," she whispered in a dead voice.


	7. Flight

**Shadow of the Past**

Ch. 6: Flight

_Demitri_

Demitri had managed to get Marcus, Jane, Sulpicia, Heidi and Gianna out of Volterra before the Romanians' forced breached the inner chambers of the castle. Everyone else had fallen. He led the shell shocked survivors to a hidden airstrip that Shadow had built just for such an emergency. A Lear jet was always kept fueled and ready for immediate take off.

As soon as the refugees were secured in their seats, he climbed into the pilot's seat and taxied down the runway. Less than five minutes later, they were airborne. Demitri made sure to stay below the radar for the duration of the flight. There was less chance of the Enemy finding out where they were headed that way.

Thirty minutes over the Atlantic Ocean, he sent a microburst transmission to Shadow to inform the Princess that survivors were en route to her safe house in Iceland. Again, for safety reasons he never elaborated further. Demitri set the Auto Pilot and went back into the cabin to attend to the others. He opened the small refrigerator and passed blood bags to the vampires and poured Gianna a glass of wine. During the next six hours, he was sure the reality of the situation would finally sink into them.

The jet landed without incident and he took the remnants of the once proud Volturi to a large two story home in the middle of nowhere. Soon Shadow and the others would join them.

_Shadow_

As soon as Shadow uttered those horrific words, she had everyone packed and on their way to the safe house. Instead of traveling at vampire speed, the remaining members of her strike force moved cautiously. The Romanians had been smart so Shadow knew their assassins could've already been on their way.

Twenty-four hours later, after they had backtracked quite a bit, the vampires reached Shadow's safe house. She needed to know who was there and threw caution to the wind as she flashed into the house. The first thing she had seen in the house was her parents, alive and unharmed. The brunette vampire fell to her knees before then and sobbed for them being there and for her lost family.

Her companions and the remaining refugees joined her and acknowledged their torment. The room became lighter as the sorrow drained from the others and flowed into Shadow. With blood and venom tears flowing down her cheeks, she regained her feet and stood tall. She was now the Volturi Queen and she needed to free her race from the depravities of the Carpathian Demons.


	8. Shadow Play

**Shadow of the Past**

_Disclaimer: Y'all should know it by heart._

Ch. 7: Shadow Play

_Cairo, Egypt_

_Shadow_

Two days. For the past two days, Shadow has pushed herself beyond her previous endurance limits and it had taken its toll on her. After she had chosen to fight for her people, she needed to wait for the others to be preoccupied in order to take the next logical step. When Demitri had taken them hunting, she stepped into the shadows and was gone.

Shadow moved swiftly and quietly through the world as she searched for others of her kind. The Irish Coven, the remaining Southern Covens, and most of the Nomads were gone. Amon and his Egyptian Coven had been joined with the Romanians and were part of the assault on Volterra, along with fifty Newborns and a vampire they called Light. Because of the atrocities that still happened within the city, the human authorities had started to take notice.

She had only been able to locate Giovanni and the Amazon Coven and send them to the safe house. A smug smirk crossed her lips when she thought about it. Demitri had never asked what made that particular house so safe. She wished that she could've seen the look on his face after everyone had returned from hunting, and he finally found out.

The house itself was unremarkable, just your ordinary piece of human craftsmanship. The land it was built upon, however, was a convergence of Lay Lines, those conduits of mystical energy that crisscrossed the globe. She hired a Feng Shui expert from Shanghai to design the interior for the maximum flow of that energy. Finally, she had brought in three powerful witches to place wards on it so that nothing, or nobody other than herself, could get into it without a special token when they were active.

Unfortunately, Demitri and the others learned that the token only worked one way. They allowed the barer to enter in through them, not exit out. Everyone she cared about was safe from harm. Not even a thousand Newborns or a nuclear strike could get through.

She watched just inside the shadows of Amon's home. The arrogant asshole actually thought that his Coven ruled equally with the Romanians. He never thought that they would betray him, not when he had his little Benjamin as a weapon. Too bad the younger vampire and his mate had gone hunting.

Shadow's eyes sought out the traitor's mate and found her when the other woman curled up into Amon's lap and kissed him passionately. The Volturi Queen push wave after wave of pain and sorrow at the female. The wretched creature fell from her mate's lap sobbing uncontrollably.

Tendrils of shadow wrapped around her throat, arms, and legs. Amon watched in horror when they whipped outward and tore her to pieces. When his rightful Queen materialized out of the shadows, he flew into a rage. As he sprang at Shadow, they both heard the sounds of tearing metal that a vampire being ripped to pieces. From the amount of noise, two more vampires had met their Second Deaths.

Shadow easily sidestepped the attack and sent him overwhelming sorrow. The enraged vampire fell to the ground and begged for mercy. Fifteen of the Romanian Newborns burst into the room. Five dove upon the prone vampire while the rest circled the petite Volturi. The hunger that shown from the eyes was more than just bloodlust.

The young vampire normally wouldn't have worried about the odds. In her training, she often faced multiple opponents. However, those opponents had been highly skilled in combat. These were crazed Newborns and she had pushed herself too hard without rest. The time had come for plan B; she pulled the shadows around her then pushed the detonator for the bomb she had hidden when she first arrived.

Four of the Newborns leapt on her and savaged her stomach and legs as they were all transported back to the safe house. She screamed in pain as one tore off her right leg. There were growls and the Newborns were removed from her. Somewhere, she thought she heard her mother whisper soothing words to her, but the burning fire of the venom overshadowed everything else.

The next thing she was aware of was something rich and delicious that slid down her gullet and helped to dull the fire, but not enough. She whimpered, "Mommy, it hurts."

Jane Volturi stroked her daughter's hair and soothed, "I know, Sweet Angel, but it will go away soon. Mommy promises."

Eight hours later, the pain was over and Shadow came back to her senses. She felt drained in every way. When she tried to get out of the bed she was in, the weakened vampire stumbled. Carlisle entered the room and helped her into the living room. Shadow didn't need Empathy to know that she was in a room full of pissed off vampires.

Shadow held her head high and raked her gaze over the other vampires. Most of them lowered their eyes and held their tongues despite their anger. Her father, mother and aunt continued to look her in the eyes. She reached out and turned a bust of Aro a quarter turn, counter-clockwise then looked at Demitri.

"I need to hunt and still to weak to shadow walk. Once the door closes, turn the bust back to its original position and the wards will go back up. While I doubt the Romanians have learned of this place, we should still be cautious," she told him then headed out the door with her three elders right behind her. Shadow paused just long enough after the door closed to make sure Demitri followed her order. When she felt the wards go up, she ran in the direction of the nearest game.

_Marcus_

Pride and anger warred for dominance in Marcus Volturi. Anger that his daughter had endangered herself to gather intelligence and make a random strike against their enemies; pride that she had stepped up to fill the void left by the assassinations of my brothers. Even in a weakened state, when faced with a roomful of angry allies, she refused to let them question her authority.

His Isabella, his Little Shadow, had never wanted to be Queen or lead. Little by little, she had been groomed and the results were extraordinary. He, Jane and Sulpicia kept watch as his daughter went through seven deer. When the last one dropped from her arms, she sat on a nearby rock and looked at him expectantly.

The older women both shot him a look that warned him not to be harsh. He looked back at Shadow and noticed what they had; underneath the unrepentant façade was a scared nineteen-year-old girl that was afraid she would fail us.

"While a good leader will not let another question a decision once it has been made, they will acknowledge if it was a mistake. Wanting to keep us safe and learn as much as possible about what has happened since the attack were good decisions. Their execution leaves much to be desired. I fear you took Caius' belief that a General must lead his troops from the front too much to heart," he began and allowed only a fraction of his irritation to slip through.

"Yes, Papa," Shadow replied contritely with her head bowed.

"If you had not pushed yourself well beyond your limits and had taken some us to assist you, you would never have been hurt. Your Mother and I almost lost you. From now on you must let us help you," Marcus finished.

"I am sorry, Papa," she cried and threw herself at him sobbing.

The surviving Volturi King hugged his daughter and waited for her to calm down. When she was in control, she stepped back and spoke to Sulpicia.

"Your surrogate is doing well; the demons have not harmed her. She will be safe until the child is born, and then there are no guarantees. However, I may still have to kill your firstborn son, Gregori; the vampire known as Light," she stated, her voice had taken on a worried tone at the end.


	9. Shadow and Light

**Shadow of the Past**

Ch. 8: Shadow and Light

_Sulpicia_

Sulpicia and the two other elder Volturi stared at Shadow in shock at the revelation that Light was her son. The younger vampire went on to explain that during her reconnaissance she learned that Vladimir, the Romanian leader, had managed to steal one of Sulpicia's harvested eggs. He had fertilized it then had it implanted in an unwilling host. The ancients were angered at learning of yet another violation against their family.

After all of them had calmed down, they returned to the safe house so that everyone felt included in planning their next move. The debate over what it would be raged for days. With at least two-thirds of the known vampires that could offer assistance destroyed, their prospects hadn't looked good. Months of planning and re-planning had disheartened all of them. Finally, Shadow made the decision for a full on frontal assault in spite of everyone's protests.

The day had been chosen for what it symbolized to the enslaved people of Volterra. The thirty-five remaining Newborns had dragged helpless citizens into the square to feed under the noon day sun.

_Marcus_

Despair, sorrow and hopelessness hung heavy over the once beautiful city of Volterra as Marcus and rest of the Liberators where pulled through the shadows by his daughter. The sun glittered off his exposed flesh and his simple priestly robes fluttered in the warm breeze as he walked confidently into the square. He raised a small wooden cross and shouted, "By All That Is Holy, Demons Be Gone!"

The Newborns turned to the foolish man as whispers of the return of St. Marcus rippled through the surviving victims. They began to move toward him when the rest of the attack force ran into the square. The battle raged in earnest but the Newborns were no match for seasoned vampires. Sounds of screeching metal and screams filled the air as they were torn apart.

Movement attracted Marcus' attention and he watched a young vampire walk from the direction of the castle. His features were almost an exact copy of Sulpicia's. The youth sneered and raised his right hand then pointed at the former King. Death flew from the extended finger in the form of a beam of light. Marcus knew his time had come; his only regrets were that he would never see his child lead their race into the future and his loving wife would suffer losing another mate.

Shadow materialized in front of him and the beam struck her dead on in the chest. His scream of anguish died in his throat when nothing had happened to his daughter. The vampire known as Light stared in shock as none had stood against his power before. She looked at her father and growled, "Get the Romanians, _HE_ is mine."

_Shadow_

Shadow smiled in satisfaction as her father led the others to the castle to deal with the Invaders while she dealt with their pet. It had been obvious that Light was shaken by her lack of dieing. He attempted to flee back the way he had come but she shadow walked and blocked his path. Every time he moved to escape, the young Queen intercepted him. This was her city; she knew every inch of it so as he became more desperate to flee, Shadow herded him into a small enclosed garden.

She watched as the knowledge that he was trapped dawned in his expression. If his light powers hadn't worked on her, then her shadow powers wouldn't work on him. The poor boy looked terrified; Shadow doubted he had ever had to face an opponent in hand to hand combat. Light had relied heavily on his power to destroy anyone he faced.

Shadow watched the pathetic excuse for a vampire and almost had pity for him. Then she remembered all those in her family who had been killed; in addition to the townsfolk that had been drained mercilessly. There could be no pity or mercy, not for the Romanians and certainly not for their favorite weapon.

Pain seared through her as she pulled all the pain and sorrow from the town into her. Blood and Venom tears flowed from her eyes and she pushed it at her would be cousin. Light crumbled under the weight of the emotions and he sobbed uncontrollably. On shaky legs, Shadow made her way to the prone vampire. She leaned down and grabbed his head.

"Goodbye, Gregori. May your find peace in death that was not granted to you in life," Shadow whispered then tore her enemy's head from his shoulders.

Shadow collapsed from the strain of absorbing so much pain and sorrow. As she lay curled up on the ground, citizens of Volterra surrounded her. One of the crowd was a member of the city's Police Force. He carried her to the castle with the others in tow. The throng was met at the gate by Marcus and Jane. Reverently, the Officer placed Shadow in the arms of her father then stepped back. Everyone bowed, and then stepped forward to kiss her hand before they headed home.


	10. Epilogue: St Marcus Day

**Shadow of the Past**

Epilogue: St. Marcus Day

It had been a year since Volterra had been liberated from the Romanian occupation and the World had changed. The existence of vampires was now common knowledge, the world a different place. The city had become an Independent State, much like the Vatican, and the grateful populace had crown Isabella Volturi as their Queen.

Shadow gleamed like a million diamonds as she approached the microphone on the balcony that overlooked the crowded city streets. "Welcome to Volterra, friends. Thank you for helping us celebrate our Independence. On behalf of my Family and the Citizens, please enjoy the festivities," she commented to the throng.

Her official duty over, the Volturi Queen retreated back into the comforting shadows of the castle. With nothing further on her schedule until the State Dinner this evening, she made her way to her private chambers. A pair of warm, teak colored arms wrapped around Shadow as the door closed.

Nahuel pulled her into him and kissed the nape of her neck. She moaned in pleasure and her husband continued the assault on her neck while his hands roamed her body. He guided the petite vampire to the bed. The two of them fell into it with the sound of shredding clothes as they had given into their passion.

The mated pair looked a bit disheveled when they joined the rest of their family to discuss the upcoming Dinner. There were snickers from the assembled vampires when the duo made their appearance. Jane glared at her daughter in mock shock.

"No Mother likes to think of her child mating like rabbit, but you could at least have the decency to make me a Grandmother," she commented dryly.

Shadow stuck her tongue out at her mother then took her place at the head of the horse shoe shaped table. "For your information, mother dear, my surrogate is currently in her first Trimester. You will be a Grandmother soon enough," the Queen replied.

Jane and the other women in the room squealed in delight and Alice began to bounce as she glanced over to Heidi. The two shopping obsessed vampires shared a look that indicated they already had ideas for a Baby Shower. Thankfully, Jasper jumped in and used his power to calm down his hyperkinetic wife.

Shadow shook her head, giggled, and then started the meeting. As much as loved her best friends, something told her this was going to be a long nine months.


End file.
